Our young Champion.

While some of you are having fun RVing  because you are full-timers or early birds we have to wait for the Spring before we start our travels ,and this is due to 2 main reasons:

One – A staying permit for non residents is only for 6 months , we are RVing since 2002  every year for 4-5 months and   chose to RV in the summers leaving the “hot” States till we decide to switch seasons.

Two- We have family back home that we like to see and spend time with.

The winters in Israel are mild  so the out door activities include hiking,going to the beach ,picnicking ,planning the next RV trip, spending time with the family and attending kids / grand kids events.

I am sure you all enjoy taking a part of your family member on his/her special event like graduation,prom,wedding or any other big or small celebrations,it is specially important because some times we have to chose between being away on a RV trip or making it to the event,it is even more difficult when the family members are scattered around and we can not make it to each and every event.

Saying all that ,we try to attend EVERY event of our family member during our stay in Israel, yesterday was such an event, our 10 year old grand daughter attended an athletics  competition in her area and out of 4 schools (120 girls) she won 2 gold medals and one bronze.

 

                                                                                                          

   

                                                                                     

It was amazing to see all these kids do their drills,how serious they take it and how supportive they are ,things we  see rarely when it comes to grown ups….

We were very happy for her to get this award that come after years of training,but we would be equally happy if she would do her best and not be on the podium…

Way to go Zohar (In Hebrew-“Bright light in the sky “) 

Proud,happy and thrilled, your loving

Grandpa & Grandma

Family Picnic

Since 2002 we found our “balance” ,every summer we travel 5 months with our 5W in North America while from September till the end of May we spend time at home with family and friends.

Actually it was an easy decision as no foreigner can stay more than 6 months in the US except on special occasions such as student visa which we do not have…

During the summers we RV always to new to us destinations storing the rig at the end of each trip and picking it up from there in the Springs to discover new places,in our 12 years we always traveled to places we did not yet visit,we like to get to the mountain and then to see what is beyond it,…

During the winters we hike if the weather permits,visit the grandkids and plan the next summer trip,in some winters we take a short trip abroad to ski or just visit the place.

Last Saturday we gathered the kids and the grandkids for a picnic in the the woods,the weather was reasonable and we all had fun.

Food ,games,recreation and a camp fire kept the grandkids busy and happy even without their smartphones…

We had a special guest ,our eldest Grand Daughter (16) brought her first boy friend to meet the gang, and it went very well.

At around 4PM when the sun beams were getting weak it was the sign for us to pack the things,clean the area and head home just before the traffic picks up at the end of the day .

So just before we left here is the whole gang…the boyfriend is behind the camera.

This is winter in my country,no extreme weather except one week in December when it was snowing in Jerusalem and around it.

A day trip & BBQ

This post is dedicated to all my North American friends that are suffering/enjoying the cold harsh weather ,I hope these sun beams and clear skies will warm you up  a bit.

We all know that we cannot control the weather ,so why waist time and energy on the subject??? just go for it and enjoy the present as it comes.

Saying this, we took a day trip on Friday with our hiking group ,hiking 12 Miles around Jerusalem ,it started in a cold weather and slowly developed into a beautiful day as we pilled slowly our warm cloths .

 

On the next day we had part of our family for a BBQ in the garden,two of the elder Grand kids could not make it ,one was on a school trip and the other with her boy friend (were we the same at 16??)

      

It is hard these days to get everyone together in one place ,but we continue to do the effort and are happy when “most” of them come over .

Our lemon tree got confused and thought that it is April……any for a lemon????

Keep warm my friends…till we meet again.

The first 50 years of marriage

Yes it is not a mistake ,we are together 54 years out of them married 50 years….the owner of the place thought it is my 50th Birthday…(I wish)

So many years together It is hard work , a lot of compromising, adjustments,common interests and sharing , it seems that we made it and still having fun.

We have 3 kids ,five grand kids and the 6th in the oven(expecting her in the next month)…what a sex life-every year a grand child…

To celebrate this special occasion we rented a villa next to the Kineret Lake in the North part of Israel that can accommodate 11 people including my mother (92 years old),our 2 kids out of three (one is in Canada) and grandkids.

   

The place has a huge heated swimming pool,Jacuzzi and a place where we can all eat together.

 

The kids & the grand kids read some of   the blessings they prepared at home ,we even brought up on the net our youngest son and his wife that live in Canada to join us and in this evening

  

It was a fun day the smiles on the faces made it even better,we played ,swam,eat (more than we intended) and enjoyed each other.

There was no moment wasted as the grandkids showed their gymnastic talents in the pool and out side.

     

And here are some more unforgettable moments….

On the way back we took the scenic route along the Jordan river experiencing this beautiful sunsets.

   

When it is good,time fly's ,so do it TODAY-NOW what ever it is  and enjoy every minute.

Click on any picture to enlarge.

2014 RV summer plan

It was snowing heavily in the last 3 days,many lost electrical power and some had to spend the nights other than at home as the roads were jammed with snow and stuck  vehicles, at the beginning it was fun to see snow but later on it was cold and stormy.

I was lucky ,I was dry,warm , fed and as long as I stayed at home it was fine,so I called family and friends to see if every one was OK ,read a book ,listened to the news and still had time on my hands-so I prepared our next summer RV plan,the  13th one-unbelievable….

As some of you know we are “full time summer RVers” ,we started in summer 2002 in Alaska and since then we RV every summer for 5 months each trip to different States/Provinces,not more than 2-4 States on one trip.

These are the States /Provinces we have explored:

       

We hike,work in farms,raft,attend concerts-in short live the place before moving to a new location, the plan is more of guidelines –just as an example ,we planed to stay a month in Newfoundland but we liked it so much we stayed on the Island for 3 whole months….

The end of our 2013 RV trip was in October near St Louis ,so our next States to visit will be Missouri-Arkansas-Oklahoma ending the trip in Colorado Springs.

The stops you see on the map below are  central locations  where  we leave the 5W  and do side trips with the truck till we feel like moving to another central location and do the same.

I use Street & Trips soft ware it helps me locate waterfalls,State Parks,Campgrounds ,it is very helpful and worth the money.

The purpose of me posting the plan is to get suggestions from others what else to see on the route ,don’t forget that we did not visit these States yet,and the plan is based on literature and surfing the net- so please go a head and let me know what else is a must see.

 

Thank you, have a great winter and maybe we will see you in the next summer.

Snow in Jerusalem

It might seem strange that I am posting this post especially for people that are used to have this white powder every winter,but for us it is a very rare sight.

Jerusalem is a hilly city so the altitude varies but it is approximately 750 Meters (2,500 feet) above sea level and if it snows in Israel Jerusalem is the first to get it.

Jerusalem on average gets heavy snowfalls every 7 years. It is one of the most beautiful sites to see. The city stretches out, covered briefly with a thin layer of white. The streets are quiet, except for the laughter of children who are experiencing snow-- many for the first time.

 JERUSALEM IN 1922

 

When it snows or even when it is on the news “that it might snow in Jerusalem” people pack their kids,picnic basket and hit the road to see the “White Magic” fall from the sky,for some it is the first time ever to see SNOW.

The problem is that having only 2 roads to reach the city it creates road jams,cars get stuck and Fun becomes agony, but I guess this is the human nature.

Here are some beautiful pictures from the last days

             

Lets hope that the next snow in Jerusalem will be Next year …..